Several professors at Florida International University have expressed their strong disapproval of a state regulation that cracks down on teaching identity politics in the classroom.
The law in question targets general education classes that promulgate “theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States,” the Miami Herald reported.
Though courses that teach such ideas will still be open for students, they will not count towards general education requirements, something that could cause a drop in enrollment, with one student saying: “If they don’t count toward general education I don’t have time. I’ve got to focus on my career. That’s the reason I’m in the university,” according to the Herald.
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The Herald spoke to several professors who complained about the regulation.
Katie Rainwater, a Sociology of Gender professor, said that there “is a high level of political interference which is deeply troubling.”
Martha Schoolman, who teaches English, stated: “Well, this whole enterprise isn’t safe anymore, they don’t care about this being a good school… there is a kind of mentality where anything can be sacrificed in order to comply and there is no point in resisting it. . . . They want to re-shape the whole curriculum, the whole system, in this very conservative image.”
Kevin Grove, who teaches geography, said the regulation “silences the experiences of violence, harm, suffering, and the resistance to these conditions” and signifies a “plantation mentality” that benefits white Americans.
Classes teaching identity politics and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have been facing strong criticisms from many Americans who see such courses as a form of political indoctrination. DEI bureaucracies have also been called “costly cancers that stifle free speech and viewpoint diversity.”
DEI and identity politics principles have also been accused of fomenting division and anger within campus communities.
A Monday report conducted by Rutgers University and the Network Contagion Research Institute, for example, found that DEI can cause “hostile attribution bias,” increase “perceptions of prejudicial hostility where none was present,” and vilify any dissenters.
President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House could mark an intensification in the campaign to take down DEI in higher education. News recently broke that Trump invited anti-DEI activist Christopher Rufo to discuss liberating American universities and colleges from DEI initiatives.
Campus Reform has reached out to Florida International University and each named professor for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
